Conduit-supporting device



May 24, 1960 s. c. sAcHs coNnuIT-SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1, 1956 FIGA.

INVENTOR SAMUEL G. SACHS 75cm? M/u.

ATTORNEYS coNDUIT-sUPPoRTlNG DEVICE Samuel C. Sachs, S. C. Sachs Co. Inc., 5540 W. Park Ave., St. Louis 10, Mo..

Filed Aug. 1, 1956, Ser. No. 601,547

1 Claim. (Cl. 248-49) This invention relates to an improved device for supporting and positioning runs of conduit incident to placement of such conduit and to embedment of the conduit in concrete or other suitable material.

It is conventional practice to lay electrical conduit in trenches dug in the earth and to till such trenches with concrete to embed the conduit and hold it in position. A major objective of the present invention is to realize a device which can be utilized to support runs of conduit from the sides and bottom of the trench and to support runs of conduit in spaced relation relative to, one another and on subjacent runs of conduit.

An important object is realized by a conduit-supporting device that can be economically constructed completely from a piece of flexible sheet material such as liber board, metal or the like, and that can be utilized to support runs of conduit in vertical and horizontal spaced relation to each other and in spaced relation from the subjacent ground surface.

Another important object is realized by the novel assembled conliguration of the device which provides angularly related sheet portions, and by the provision of integral means detachably interconnecting such sheet portions to prevent collapse of the device while supporting a load.

Other important advantages are achieved by the provision of an arm cut out from one sheet portion, and the disposition of the arm transversely of the angularly related sheet portions for connection to the other sheet portion to obtain the functional results mentioned previously. The arm is provided with a head formation adapted to intert a compatible aperture so that the head formation is quickly and easily attached to the opposite sheet portion to assembly the device ready for use.

Still another important object is realized in that the device can be constructed of precut sheet material which can be stored or packed in at expanded condition, one on top of the other, which obviously results in a saving of valuable storage space, and facilitates handling since large numbers of the devices in fiat condition can be transported in a relatively small package. Moreover, such a device is particularly adapted for assembly from the tlat sheet condition to the folded and locked, angularly related, operative structure as the need for such device arises while on the job.

Yet another important object is realized by the provision of a plurality of spaced recesses along the folding axis of the device which are adapted to seat and support rows of conduit, and by the provision of recesses in the base margins adapted to seat on runs of conduit so that additional runs may be supported in vertically spaced relation thereabove.

Another important object is realized in that the device when in a folded, assembled angular relation, is entirely open at the ends and bottom, which enables the till such as concrete, dirt or other suitable material in which the conduit is embedded, to surround completely the device and conduit without creating any voids or pockets.

States Patent O The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly appear from the following detailed description of a. preferred embodiment, particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the conduit-supporting device showing the blank of sheet material in at, unfolded condition; Y

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device in folded operative condition;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view, partly in cross section, showing conduit-supporting devices in supporting relation to several runs of conduit in different horizontal planes.

Referring now by characters of reference to the draw-i ing, and first to Fig. 1, it is seen that the conduit-supporting device is constructed from a flat piece or blank of sheet material such as ber board, metal or other suitable material, theV sheet material being defined by opposite end margins 10` and opposite lateral margins 11 that constitute a base for the device as will appear later.

y A pair of spaced openings 12 is formed symmetrically about a longitudinal axis generally indicated at 13 and located between opposed lateral margins 11. I the preferred construction, openings 12 are generally Velliptical in configuration. For clarity of subsequent description, it will be noted that the axis 13 divides the sheet material into two sheet portions 14 and 15. The lateral margins 11 of sheet portions 14 and 15 are each provided with a pair of spaced arcuate recesses 16, the recesses 16 on one lateral margin 11 being transversely aligned with the recesses 16 formed in the opposite lateral margin 11.

The sheet portion 14 is cut away to provide an elongate arm 20, one end of which is formed integrally with sheet portion 14 and the opposite end being free. The free end of arm 20 is provided with a T-shaped head formation 21 formed integrally with the shank.

The other sheet portion 15 is provided with an aperture 22 transversely aligned with arm 20 and located approximately the same distance from lateral margin 11 that the integral end of arm 20 is spaced from lateral margin 11 of sheet portion 14. The aperture 22 includes an enlarged portion 23 of a size to receive and permit passage of head formation 21, and includes a reduced portion 24 of a size to receive the shank of arm 20.

To assemble the device, the sheet material is folded along longitudinal axis 13 so that sheet portions 14 and 15 are arranged in angular relation, as is shownl more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The arm 20 is folded out of the plane of sheet portion 14 and is extended transversely of angularly related sheet portions 14 and 15. The enlarged head formation 21 is moved through aperture portion 23, and then arm 20 is moved upwardly so that its shank enters the reduced aperture portion 24, best shown in Fig. 2. In this position, the head formation 21 engages the sheet portion 15 and retains the sheet portions in angularly related position and prevents collapse of the device while supporting a load.

When the device is in its assembled, folded condition as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the openings 12 provide downwardly convergent recesses defined by transversely aligned arcuate margins 25 (Fig. 2). Moreover, it will appear from Fig. 2 that lateral recesses 16 are transversely aligned also and provide upwardly convergent seats for runs of conduit as will be explained subsequently.

To illustrate the use of this device, assume that it is desired to lay a plurality of runs of conduit in a trench 26, as is shown in Fig. 4. First, a number of folded and locked devices are located in the trench at spaced intervals with the base margins 11 seating ou the bottom of the trench. This is illustrated by device having referencevnumeral 27 in Fig. 4. Then, runs of conduit 28 are located in uppermost recesses 12, the device 27 supporting the conduit in horizontally spaced relation. Additional conduit-supporting devices are located on top of conduit runs 28 at spaced intervals `along the trench 26, as is illustratedV by device 29 in Fig. 4. The recesses 16 in base margin 11 seat on the runs of conduit 28, While uppermost recesses 12 serve to .scat and support additional runs of conduit 30. It is seen that the conduit-supporting devices maintain the runs of conduit in horizontally and vertically spaced relation relative to each other and maintain such runs of conduit in position in trench '26.

With the conduit-supporting devices .holding the runs of conduit in desired position, .the trench is .lled with concrete, dirt or other suitable material 31.50 that the conduit and :devices are completely covered and embedded. Since the conduit-supporting Idevicesare completely open at the bottom -and ends, the :lling'material ows completely l,around the conduits and devices, and all voids or pockets are eliminated.

Although the invention has beenrdescribed by ,making detailed reference to a `single preferred embodiment,:such detail is to be understood in an instructive, rather than in .any restrictive sense, many variants being possible within the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

l claim as Amy invention:

A conduitfsupporting devicecomprised of a piece `of sheet Vmaterial bent Aalong an axis to provide angularly related 4sheet portions, said sheet portions being=provided with a plurality of recesses spaced along said axis and Aadapted `to seat runs of conduit, said sheet portions including parallel base margins on opposite sides of the said axis, one of said sheet portions having an arm cut out of said sheet material, said arm being integrally connected to said portion at one end closely adjacent the base margin of said one sheet portion, and the opposite end of said arm being -provided with an enlarged head, the other y,sheet portion being provided with an aperture substantially horizontally aligned with the integrally connected endof saidarm .whenthe lsheet `portions are angularly related and locatedclosely vadjacent the base margin of said other ,sheet portion, said aperture having one portion of a size to receive the head and a smaller portion of a size to receive the arm, the arm extending from the said one sheet portion to which it is integrally attached, through the aperture in the said other sheet portion so that said arm head engages the said other sheet portion to prevent collapse of .said device.

References Cited in the-file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,058,908 Schoenthaler Apr. 15, 1913 1,060,919 Luten May 6, 1913 2,240,208 Cross Apr. 29, 1941 2,686,643 Bloom et al. v Aug. 17, 1954 FQREIGN PATENTS if; w" 

